Description
This Baked BBQ Chicken recipe offers a delicious way to enjoy tender and flavorful chicken with a smoky barbecue rub and a caramelized BBQ sauce finish. Perfectly cooked in the oven with a broil glaze, it provides a grill-like experience with minimal effort, suitable for any chicken cut you prefer.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 2 pounds bone-in chicken pieces or boneless skinless chicken breasts
Seasoning
- 1/3 cup barbecue chicken rub
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Start with your choice of chicken cut—bone-in chicken with skin, skinless chicken, or boneless skinless chicken breasts. Pat the chicken dry thoroughly to ensure the seasoning sticks well and promotes crispy skin.
- Season the chicken: Rub the barbecue spice mix evenly on all sides of the chicken pieces, coating them thoroughly. Allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes to absorb the flavors while you preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- Set up for baking: Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place an oven-safe wire baking rack on top. Arrange the seasoned chicken pieces skin-side up on the rack to allow heat circulation for even cooking.
- Bake the chicken: For bone-in drumsticks, bake for 15 minutes, then flip and bake for 10 more minutes. For bone-in thighs or chicken breasts, bake for 15 minutes, flip, and bake another 20 minutes. For boneless skinless breasts, bake for 10 minutes, flip, and bake for another 10 minutes. This ensures each piece reaches the appropriate internal temperature for juiciness and tenderness.
- Broil with sauce glaze: After baking, flip the chicken again and brush generously with barbecue sauce. Broil on high heat for 2-4 minutes for bone-in pieces or 2-3 minutes for boneless breasts to caramelize the glaze, creating crispy, flavorful edges. Monitor closely to prevent burning.
Notes
- Broiling at the end gives the chicken a delicious caramelized and slightly crispy exterior, mimicking the effect of grilling.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure boneless skinless breasts reach 165ºF internally, while dark meat like thighs and drumsticks can be cooked to 175-185ºF for optimal tenderness.
- Adjust broiling time slightly based on your oven’s intensity and chicken size to avoid burning the sauce.
- For best flavor, use a quality barbecue rub and sauce that suit your taste preferences.
- Nutrition estimates are based on 6 pieces of chicken per recipe with 1 serving equal to 1 piece; actual nutrition may vary depending on ingredient brands and portion sizes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
